Divided Loyalties- Story 3 {BtVS/Supernatural}

5. Enemy of my enemy and all that rot

A/N: Characters aren't mine, some content belongs to Twiztv.com

Buffy read aloud from a book in Giles’ apartment while behind her Giles sat on the stairs and read to himself from another. Dean wasn’t reading, merely leaning against the stairway beside Giles, waiting for someone to find something. He was wondering why the hell he was still there and not turning his ass around, grabbing Sam and getting back on the highway, but for some reason he couldn't make himself turn and leave.

“'A child shall be born of man and goat and have two heads, and The First shall speak only in riddles...' No wonder you like this stuff.” She said, and then closed the book. “It's like reading The Sun.”

Dean snorted and she met his gaze for a moment before he looked away again. “Yes. Ah.” Giles spoke up, finding something in his book.

“Priests?” She looked at him and wished the sting in her heart would go away.

“Um... Yes, but, uh, more, more posturing, I'm afraid. Um,” He read aloud a passage. “'For they are the Harbingers of death. Nothing shall grow above or below them. No seed shall flower, neither in man nor...'” He made a gesture to explain that it went on and on. “’They're rebels and they'll never ever be any good. Nothing specific about their haunts.”

“Let me see that,” Buffy said as something he said sparked a memory in her head. Giles handed her the book and she studied it, trying to pin down the memory. “'...the Harbingers of death. Nothing shall grow above or below...'” She repeated, lost in thought.

“What?” Giles asked.

“I think I know where to go.” She set the book down and Dean straightened and walked outside again without a word. She directed him to the tree lot and when he sat in the car after they arrived she turned to him. “Are you going to give me the silent treatment the whole weekend?” She asked, hoping he’d answer.

“I should. Then again, I’ve been wondering why the hell I’m even still here. Why shouldn’t I just grab Sammy and put some miles under the tires?” He answered, staring ahead. “You know what, that’s a pretty good idea.” He set his jaw stubbornly but when she made no move to get out he threw her a glare. “You’re still here?”

“Dean, talk to me, just say whatever it is you want to say.” She sighed, turning to face him and ignoring his barbs.

“He tortured me Buffy, you know that? He had his lackey’s knock me and Sammy out and he threatened to cut something off my little brother.” He bit out the words, seeing her green eyes widen in horror. “Forgive me if I’m not in the ‘Save-Angels’-ass’ club.”

She looked out the windshield, fighting the nausea at his words and said quietly. “It wasn’t him, he didn’t have a soul then.”

“And that makes it all better?” He growled. “He was an evil bloodsucking bastard who killed Giles’ girlfriend and stalked you and your friends. Just because you slap a leash on him doesn’t make it go away. He’s still that monster deep down and you damn well know it.”

She was silent, acknowledging the venom in his words and knowing part of what he was saying was true. “Thanks for taking me to Giles, you can go now.” She said softly, opening the door and slipping out.

He watched her walk away toward the tree lot entrance and started the car with a roar. He peeled out and headed for Joyce’s, intending to grab Sammy and say to hell with Sunnydale and everyone associated with it. He got a block away before he started to mutter a steady stream of curses and swung the Impala in a U-Turn and drove back to the tree-lot.

Buffy kicked the gate open and marched straight toward the dead trees, fueled by anger at the Bringers and at Dean. Once there, she studied the dead trees for a moment, looking down at six that have died arranged in a circle, yet all the trees around them were fine.

She heard the sound of gravel and a slam and twisted around to see Dean coming toward her with a crossbow in his hand, scowling and muttering to himself. She looked around for something to dig with, finding a long-handled ax. She swung it at the ground, and after a couple of hits she broke through. A few more swings and the hole became large enough for them to get through.

She crouched down and dropped into it, Dean following and landing with a thud next to her. She helped him to his feet and they looked around, finding themselves in a cave. There were candles burning here and there and they made their way deeper into the cave. She heard chanting nearby and shared a look with Dean who tightened his grip on his crossbow. They didn't have to go far before they came to the table with the priests sitting around it.

“Alright, ten more minutes of chanting and then you guys have to go to bed.” Buffy quipped and Dean took aim at the freaky-looking priests as they got up and shot a bolt, and Buffy jumped down to fight them.

She swung the handle of her ax into one priest's stomach, and he went down. She repeated the move on another one, who doubled over. She followed up with another swing to his head, and he went down, too. The third one ran away, and Dean chased after it. Buffy used the ax to destroy the artifacts on the table. Suddenly, Jenny appeared in the cave with her.

“Hmm. I'm impressed.” She said and Buffy hesitated, surprised to see Jenny there, but realized that it wasn’t really her.

“You won't get Angel.” She said defiantly.

“Hmm. You think you can fight me? I'm not a demon, little girl. I am something that you can't even conceive. The First Evil. Beyond sin, beyond death. I am the thing the darkness fears. You'll never see me, but I am everywhere. Every being, every thought, every drop of hate.” Jenny/The First went on and Buffy rolled her eyes.

“Alright, I get it. You're evil. Do we have to chat about it all day?”

“Angel will be dead by sunrise. Your Christmas... will be his wake.” Jenny/The First said, unimpressed and Buffy saw Dean approach with his shotgun raised at the apparition.

“No,” Buffy denied, shooting Dean a look he ignored.

“You have no idea what you're dealing with.” The First continued, paying no mind to the Hunter with his weapon trained on it.

“Lemme guess. Is it... evil?” Buffy's voice was thick with sarcasm. The apparition of Jenny shrunk and contorted for an instant by an image of a huge horned and clawed beast coming at her, roaring and with eyes glowing red. Dean shot a salt round at the beast but it passed through, fading as quickly as it appeared. Buffy stared in shock at the place where it appeared as it screamed a final warning.

“DEAD BY SUNRISE!” Buffy turned her terrified gaze to Dean who pursed his lips and followed her out of the cave.

He drove her in silence to Angel’s mansion and she got out before the car had stopped completely, not even sparing a glance at him. He watched her run inside, calling for Angel and gritted his teeth, then turned the car toward the hotel, intent on finding a nearby bar.